The invention relates to a composition for assisting in the toilet training of children. The composition is a powder mixture that changes from white to a desired color upon contacting water. The color change of the powder provides a source of amusement to a child to encourage his or her use of the toilet.
Toilet training is often a difficult and tedious task for both parent and child. Children are often intimidated or simply disinterested in the prospect of making the transition from diapers to regular toilet use. Forcing an unwilling child to use a toilet can be counterproductive and reinforce the child""s fear or dislike for the activity.
There is a need for toilet training aids that make the experience of using the toilet more enjoyable for the child, thereby encouraging use of the toilet and making toilet training easier for the parent. An activity in which the source of amusement to the child is directly related to the activity of urinating in the toilet would have the strongest effect in developing a positive incentive in the child""s mind for using the toilet.
In an effort to overcome and eliminate the aforementioned problems, the present invention was conceived.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a toilet training aid that encourages a child to use the toilet by providing a source of amusement that directly results from the child""s use of the toilet.
It is another object of the invention toproviden acomposition that changes from white to a desired vibrant color upon wetting of the composition by urine.
These and other objectives of the present invention are achieved by providing a powder for use as a toilet training aid that changes from a substantially white color to a non-white color upon contacting water. The powder includes at least one powdered water soluble color additive, and at least one salt for providing a uniform dispersion of color from the color additive when in contact with water.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the salt is present in a proportion of from two hundred to four hundred parts by volume to one part of the color additive.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, there is two hundred eighty-eight parts by volume of the salt to one part of the color additive.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium chloride.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the color additive is selected from the group consisting of solid water-soluble color additives certified by the United States Food and Drug Administration foe use in drugs and cosmetics and solid water-soluble color additives certified by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use in food, drugs and cosmetics.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the color additive is selected from the group consisting of DandC Red No. 33 powder and FDandC Blue No. 1 powder.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the powder includes corn starch in a proportion of from one to two hundred parts by volume to one part of the color additive.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the powder includes approximately ninety-six parts by volume of corn starch to one part. of the color additive.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the powder includes citric acid to provide effervescence of the powder upon contact with water.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the citric acid is encapsulated in a moisture resistant capsule to prevent contact between the citric acid and moisture in the air.
An embodiment of the method for toilet training a child according to the invention includes the steps of providing a powder that changes from a substantially white color to a non-white color upon contacting water comprising at least one color additive, and at least one salt to provide a uniform dispersion of color from the color additive when in contact with water. The powder is placed in a child""s training toilet, and the child is positioned appropriately so he or she urinates into the toilet thereby changing the color of the powder. The above steps are repeated to develop a mental association in the child between the visual stimulation derived from viewing the color change of the powder and. the act of using the toilet so as to encourage regular use of the toilet.
Another embodiment of the method for toilet training a child according to the invention includes providing a powder with a particular color additive to bring about a particular color change in the powder desired by the child.